The Latest: US Senate candidates face off in final debate

JUNEAU, Alaska – The Latest on the last Alaska U.S. Senate debate of this election (all times local):

10:25 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski sought to fend off attacks from two of her rivals during an at-times heated debate just days before next week’s election.

Libertarian Joe Miller and independent Margaret Stock went after the incumbent Republican over the Senate’s approach to President Barack Obama’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee.

They also tried to cast Murkowski as part of the problem in a hyper-partisan and ineffective Congress.

Also participating in the public media debate was Democrat Ray Metcalfe, who has feuded with party leaders who have done little to advance his candidacy.

Murkowski noted that her three main rivals all used to have different party affiliations than they have now. She says she hasn’t changed her party label to be someone she’s not for purposes of an election.

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2:35 p.m.

The main candidates in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race will make their closing arguments to voters during a statewide debate Thursday night.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Democrat Ray Metcalfe, Libertarian Joe Miller and independent Margaret Stock are expected to participate.

It will be only the second time that Murkowski and Miller have shared the debate stage this election. This race is a rematch between the two. In 2010, Miller beat Murkowski in the GOP primary but she won the general election as a write-in candidate.

Murkowski has touted her experience and played up her reputation as a moderate, while Miller and Stock have tried to cast her as beholden to her party and part of the problem in a gridlocked Congress.

Metcalfe is running a low-profile campaign focused on fighting corruption.